World Rugby's dinosaurs and old-school arrogance are failing us, and Private Equity will rip the game apart

World Rugby has for too long been dominated by dinosaurs and old school arrogance.

Its lack of accountability has left it vulnerable not just to passing criticism but to an attack by Private Equity.

Whether that attack is concerted or merely a probing foray, as well as the question of how much cash is behind it, may well decide the future of Rugby.

Bill Beaumont, the epitome of everything wrong with the blazer brigade, ran the game into the ground as Chairman of World Rugby.

What a shame it was that Augustin Pichot didn’t beat Beaumont to the position in 2020, it was a crucial moment for the sport. Pinchot had vision, Beaumont just stole his ideas and failed to prioritise them.

Ex-Australian International Brett Robinson now has the monumental challenge of preserving the game as we know it but he’s not off to the greatest start.

World Rugby hasn’t been working for the players. They’ve been run into the ground with impossible scheduling and low ball wages. Tier 2 Nations continue to be exploited.

It hasn’t been working for the rugby public. Signs that we may finally be getting an international rugby calendar are too little too late. Nobody wants to talk about introducing post-match reviews.

It hasn’t helped out match officials either. The powers that be and the ridiculous laws implemented without any consideration of ‘blow back’ have helped feed officials to the wolves. There is no professional, 21st century approach.

So what function does World Rugby actually serve?

I am struggling at this point to identity what it is we need World Rugby for.

It is in the context of that question that Joe Schmidt’s comments about the rebel comp, R360 were so interesting:

“I think with a concept like 360, you tend to get further away from the roots of the game, and that’s where I was pretty much embedded in the roots of the game as a young kid growing up. And so it’s a little bit foreign, but I guess it’s a little bit akin to the IPL, isn’t it? Where that was transformative to a degree to cricket. I’ve got to say, I really enjoy watching Big Bash. I think it’s a really good concept.”

You gotta applaud Joe’s candor. Thank god for interesting interviews. If only we were all so close to retirement.

Like Joe, I grew up a traditionalist and in many ways still am. But I prefer an Ashes Test over the Big Bash. I’d rather watch South African clubs play in Super Rugby than in Europe. Give me a chicken schnitzel over a prawn salad at the local surf club.

That said, transforming a product and coercing, even forcing change when change is needed aren’t necessarily bad things.

For one it keeps people on their toes. World Rugby certainly needs to feel a bit insecure. It needs to feel some heat.

It also needs to come to terms with economic realities.

Having lived in both London and Dubai for considerable periods of time, it’s pretty obvious to me in which direction the money and confidence is flowing.

Europe as a whole is in a financial malaise. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh are flying.

Need a brand-spanker airport to replace our new-ish airport? Approved! Billion-dollar drainage to avoid flooding in the desert? No worries. Money for rugby? Sign us up.

The Middle East is increasingly finding itself host to major Boxing, MMA and soccer events. Why not Rugby?

And let’s not kid ourselves. While Mike Tindall may be the face of R360, the PE money flowing into it is almost certainly dominated by Arab cash – $100 million, $300 million, it’s absolutely nothing in relative terms.

The Saudis routinely pay $100million for a single boxing event in Riyadh. Cristiano Ronaldo signed a contract in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 2 years at about $700 million. The UAE is pouring money into just about anything and everything.

Signing say Max Jorgensen up for $2 million (tax free) is like a summer break for these people. Just for fun. No wuckers mate!

And this is where World Rugby needs to get real. It’s now on the clock.

Nobody wants to see money decide rugby’s fate, definitely not me.

But World Rugby is failing the game, failing all of us.

And Private Equity is about to rip into it.

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